MAZATLAN – Just when the Mazatlan Venados were looking like they might start running away with the first half title in the Mexican Pacific League, the Hermosillo Naranjeros came into the LMP’s southernmost city and swept a doubleheader to bring the Venados a little closer to the pack. After rain caused the postponement of six MexPac games last week (including all four contests scheduled for Tuesday, October 24), the Naranjeros snuck away with a pair of one-run wins at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal last Thursday.

Starter Salvador Arellano was the main man in the 1-0 opener win for the Orangemen as Arellano went five innings and shut out the Deer on four hits to hand a scoreless tie to his bullpen, outdueling the Venados’ Pablo Ortega. In the nightcap, the Naranjeros came back for a 5-4 win as Hermosillo survived a fifth-inning grand slam by Mazatlan’s Roberto Saucedo off reliever Jermaine Van Buren (who came in for starter Alonso Beltran, who hurt his leg) that broke a scoreless tie. Lee Gardner came in to retire the Venados unscathed in the bottom of the seventh to record his second save of the day.

Meanwhile, in Obregon, Joakim Soria continued his conversion from relief pitcher to starter Wednesday night to led the Yaquis to a 3-1 win over archrival Navojoa. Soria, who has been one of the top relief pitchers in Mexico the past two years in both the MexPac and Mexican League, tossed six innings against the Mayos in his second LMP start and turned in a two-hit, one-run outing to extend his record in the young season to 2-0 for manager Homar Rojas’ Yaquis. Soria posted 10 saves and a 1.45 ERA last winter for Obregon prior to embarking on a summer season in which he turned in 15 Liga saves and a 3.89 ERA for Mexico City after putting in seven relief appearances for Fort Wayne in the Class A Midwest League, going 1-0 with a 2.39 ERA.

Speaking of Homar Rojas, the Obregon skipper was named Manager of the Year by the Mexican League for leading Oaxaca to a 62-44 record and a berth in the LMB South finals against eventual Liga champ Yucatan. The Rojas magic has carried over to the MexPac season, as the Yaquis have reeled off four straight wins to help close the gap between the rest of the LMP and Mazatlan. The Venados ended the week with a 1-4 record and now find themselves in a first-half dogfight for the lead.

It’s safe to say Rojas had a better week than Enrique “Che” Reyes, who was fired Sunday as manager of the Guasave Algodoneros after the team started off 4-11 and was mired in last place. Reyes, who led Guasave to the LMP finals last January, was replaced by first base coach Gerardo Sanchez on an interim basis. In another move Sunday, outfielder Jayson Bass was let go by the Algodoneros and replaced on the roster by ex-Giants outfielder Armando Rios. In six big league seasons, the 35-year-old Rios hit .269 with 36 homers in 1,021 at bats. He hit a homer Sunday night in his first game for Guasave and Sanchez in their 6-5 win over Mazatlan.

UPCOMING SERIES FOR OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 2Los Mochis at Culiacan, Mexicali at Mazatlan, Guasave at Navojoa, Hermosillo at Obregon

UPCOMING SERIES FOR NOVEMBER 3-5Obregon at Culiacan, Mexicali at Guasave, Los Mochis at Hermosillo, Mazatlan at Navojoa

SIXTY NOMINATED FOR SALON DE LA FAMA 2007 ELECTIONS

MONTERREY- The Salon de la Fama has released the names of sixty former players who have been nominated for induction to the Salon next year. Those players will be joined by six previous nominees who failed to receive enough votes to join the Salon this year along with inductees Ray Torres, Chibalo Jimenez, Jaime Orozco, Sergio Robles and Jorge de la Serna. Selections will be announced next year.